Justin Allgaier celebrates in victory lane Saturday at Pocono Raceway. (Christian Wilson/SWN photo)

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

LONG POND, Pa. (June 13, 2026) – Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series MillerTech Battery 250 at Pocono Raceway featured a record 18 lead changes and a record 10 cautions, including a late seven-minute red flag period.

However, in the end, it was a very familiar scenario in victory lane – as championship leader Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 JR Motorsports team celebrated an inspired drive.

Allgaier led a race best 35 of the 100 laps, ultimately taking the lead for good on a restart with two laps remaining en route to his series-leading fifth victory of the 2026 season.

Sam Mayer – who was Allgaier’s greatest challenger on the day – and his Haas Factory Team stablemate Sheldon Creed created a three-wide push for the lead on the final restart, but slid backward as Allgaier’s JR Motorsports teammate William Byron pushed Allgaier forward and created a gap on the field.

The advantage was all Allgaier needed to race off to a .607-second win over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brent Crews – who passed Byron in the last corner for second place. Byron crossed third.

The victory was the 2024 series champion’s first at the 2.5-mile triangle-shaped track, giving Allgaier wins at 21 different venues. His five wins already this year tie his previous high-water mark for a single season.

“First of all, I’ve got to say thank you to William Byron, because without his shove at the end of the race, it was probably game over,” Allgaier said before thanking the fans for filling the grandstands.

“This season has been special with [crew chief] Andrew Overstreet and this whole No. 7 team and this pit crew right here. … We’re going to go celebrate this one, for sure.”

Slowed by all the caution flags – with four in the opening 25-lap stage alone – the early part of the race never allowed one driver to establish a rhythm and truly set a pace among all the starting and stopping.

Polesitter Taylor Gray led 24 laps and won the opening stage, while Crews claimed the stage two win.

But the final half of the race was really a duel between Allgaier and Mayer, who led 14 laps in his own right and exchanged the lead with Allgaier frequently in the race’s closing laps – sometimes on the same lap.

They started side-by-side out front on the final three restarts, and Mayer looked like his No. 41 Chevrolet would at least keep Allgaier honest.

In the end, Mayer and Creed finished fourth and fifth.

“It was either the [No.] 00 [Creed] was trying to make a block, or just a push gone wrong a little bit,” Mayer said of what sent him backwards on the last restart. “Just really unfortunate circumstance. We actually had a really good launch.

“At the end of these races, you’re not going to not take a run, so I don’t blame my teammate for pulling out of line like that, but obviously it put me in a bad spot,” Mayer continued. “The middle [lane] was okay if I had people with me. … obviously today we executed really, really well, so lots to be proud about, but obviously I’m very devastated right now because I just want a shot at it and don’t feel like I have gotten a really true shot at [winning] when the white flag flew.

“We were close today, executed really good, and really proud of everybody. One day it’s going to be my turn, and I can’t wait.” 

Anthony Alfredo, Rajah Caruth, Brandon Jones, defending Pocono race winner Connor Zilisch, and Carson Kvapil rounded out the top 10.

Jeremy Clements led a lap and finished 16th on a historic day for his career and the series. The 41-year-old South Carolinian tied Kenny Wallace for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series all-time starts record, making his 547th race appearance. Wallace set the record in 2011 and last raced in 2015.

Clements will claim the mark outright when he takes next week’s green flag at Qualcomm Circuit in San Diego, Calif.

The series heads next to California for the inaugural United Rentals Driven to Serve 250, held on a street circuit built on Naval Base Coronado. Broadcast coverage airs June 20 at 5:30 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

ARTICLE CREDIT: NASCAR Wire Service